


This Coffee Will Make You Fly (Pythacarus One-Shot)

by fallofthereichenbach



Category: Atlantis (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Coffee Shops, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-17
Updated: 2015-11-17
Packaged: 2018-05-02 01:29:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5228735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallofthereichenbach/pseuds/fallofthereichenbach
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Pythagoras first goes into the small, local coffee shop called Wings, he doesn't expect much</p>
<p>But the awesome coffee, brilliant cakes, and the cute waiter who keeps flirting with him, never fail to make his day so much better than it had been</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Coffee Will Make You Fly (Pythacarus One-Shot)

**Author's Note:**

> The first of hopefully many Pythacarus and Atlantis AU works from me! 
> 
> (Also please note that this was written from about 1am-3am so I apologise in a advance for the parts that make no sense)
> 
> Enjoy xxx

Pythagoras usually got his coffee at Starbucks.

Pythagoras usually got up ridiculously early, caught the bus into town, picked up a coffee and sometimes a muffin, and went to work.

Pythagoras would have done that today. If it wasn't for the fact that he slept through his alarm, missed his usual bus, and that the line in Starbucks was made up of at least a hundred people.

So instead he walked past his usual drink stop, and looked hurriedly for a new cafe. He needed coffee. He needed caffeine. He had exactly nine minutes before he had to be in work. He needed coffee now.

Finally, he saw it. A small shop, easily passed unnoticed by the shoppers steaming by - except for a few things that drew the eye instantly. One, the rows and rows of beautiful, luxurious cakes of every flavour and size that sat proudly in the window. Two, the front of the shop that bore the interesting title of 'Wings' in brilliant gold paint. Three, the chalkboard that stood in the middle of the street advertising their drinks and food. And four, the incredibly hot guy that Pythagoras could just see standing behind the counter, checking his phone as if bored.

Well, Pythagoras decided, this was as good a place to pick up a coffee as any.

He entered as calmly as possible, taking in the quiet atmosphere that felt quite different from the bustling atmosphere he left behind in the street. A bell rang as the door opened and closed, yet none of the few customers looked up from their tables.

There was a log fire crackling off to the side, and the lights were dim and relaxing. The tables and chairs were all rustic and wooden, and the walls were covered with paintings - both of places nearby that Pythagoras recognised easily, and of places that seemed a million miles away from busy old London.

But from the ceiling - oh my god - from the ceiling hung... Puppets. Marionettes, of animals mainly. Wooden birds and mammals and reptiles that moved their respective wings and limbs in a way that was wonderfully real. Other unidentifiable objects twined amongst them in chaotic beauty.

Pythagoras felt peacefully invisible, amongst all that there was to see.

That is, until the guy stood behind the counter looked up from his phone and looked at Pythagoras. Upon closer inspection, Pythagoras could indeed conclude that he was incredibly hot. He had curly brown hair that hung in a fluffy cloud around his head, and melting-chocolate brown eyes. He was wearing skinny jeans and a black shirt, but with a green apron tied clumsily around his waist. He seemed about Pythagoras' age (25). He looked at Pythagoras warmly, with no amount of unkindness in his smile. His eyes seemed to welcome him further into the shop.

This ought to be fun.

"Hi, can I get a cappuccino please?"

"Sure. Do you want it to take away or drink in?"

Cute Waiter Guy's voice was deep and velvety smooth, and Pythagoras had to fight not to let it distract him from his purpose.

"Take away, please."

"Are you sure? It's a cold day today - why rush around with your coffee when you can sit in here and relax?" The man said, turning away briefly to fix the drink.

"Uhm... Actually I have to be at work in six minutes, so I don't really have time."

"You can do a lot with six minutes," smiled the man, handing over the coffee with a wink. Pythagoras tried not to blush (and, it's fairly safe to say, failed), "That'll be £3."

While Pythagoras awkwardly fumbled to get out his money, the guy started conversation again.

"So where do you work?"

"Um, in an office just round the corner from here, mainly doing coding and... maths stuff."

"Well, no offence, but that sounds incredibly dull. Though I don't suppose I'm one to talk."

"This seems like a really cool place, though. I can't believe I haven't been here before!"

"My dad runs this place, and he spends about 90% of his time thinking of new ways to draw people in and make this shop everything it can be. Business... hasn't been great over the last few years. See those cakes in the window? My idea - nothing brings in customers like the sight of great food."

"I can imagine." Pythagoras drank some of his coffee, and smiled as the warmth of it spread through him like fire, "Maybe your father should invest in those toy fairy wings you can buy?"

"Why, because the name of the shop is Wings? How original."

"Yes, but also because this coffee tastes like it was made in heaven."

The guy gave a shrug and a nod, and then reached over to a plate on the counter.

"Here, have a muffin, on the house," he said, randomly starting to put one in a paper bag.

"Uh... Why?"

"Well, because this is one of the first decent conversations I've had since I got to work. Also because you'll probably need something nice to get you through the day. Anyway, we always make too much food for the day. So take this muffin and get to work before you're late on my behalf."

"Thank you," Pythagoras smiled gratefully, "What's your name by the way?"

"Now see, I would tell you. But then I'd have to kill you."

Pythagoras was just rolling his eyes and trying to come up with a retort, when a call came from the kitchen.

"Icarus! Icaruuuus!"

The cute waiter gave a deadpan look, and then hung his head and laughed.

"So I'm Icarus. What's your name?'

"Pythagoras."

"Cool name, Pythagoras."

"Icarus! Icarus, stop flirting with the customers and get in here!"

Icarus rolled his eyes, and started to make his way into the kitchen.

"I'll see you again soon at some point, Pythagoras?"

"Yeah, of course. Thank you for the coffee. And the muffin!"

 

-

 

Despite longing to have some more coffee from Wings and to see Icarus again, Pythagoras didn't go back to the coffee shop for a week. 

And when he was eventually forced to go back, it was through a series of events that were incredibly unfortunate and badly timed.

First of all, he overslept. Not overslept as in missed the alarm by a few minutes, as he was used to. Overslept as in barely time to get dressed and head out of the door before he was basically officially late for work. 

Then there were delays to his regular bus route; he missed his usual bus, and there didn't seem to be another one coming for hours. He frantically called in at work, telling them he might be later than expected due to "unideal circumstances". As usual, everyone was perfectly fine about it apart from him. Pythagoras hated being late, which was unfortunate considering he was really rather good at it.

He ended up walking to the next bus stop in the rain, and eventually finding one that was heading into the city centre.

Even though he should technically have been in work five minutes ago, the lure of coffee pulled at him. But this time he didn't even look at Starbucks as he walked past.

By the time he reached Wings, he was soaking wet from the rain that was bowing pouring from the heavy grey clouds with a vengeance. It did massively suck that he'd be seeing Icarus again whilst looking like shit, but honestly he couldn't be bothered to care.

He walked into the shop, and only hesitated for a moment in the doorway to breathe in the warm smell of tea and pastries.

Walking up to the counter, Icarus had his back to him. As usual, he was wearing black skinny jeans and a black shirt with a green apron - with one minor difference. A pair of fluffy pink wings now hung on his back.

"What on earth are you wearing?" Asked Pythagoras with a smile, making Icarus jump and turn around.

"Jesus Christ, Pythagoras. You nearly made me jump out of my freaking skin. And anyway, it was your suggestion. Don't you like them?"

Pythagoras remembered their conversation the previous week.

"Oh yeah," he muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm, "Yeah they totally suit you."

"I'll have you know I've had many compliments. I've also been laughed at a lot, but that's not important."

"Have you been wearing them all week?"

"Yep. Don't smile like that, Pythagoras, I wasn't wearing them just for you. They actually bring in quite a few customers, because a surprising number of people also want to know what on earth I'm wearing."

(Pythagoras hadn't actually been smiling at the idea of Icarus wearing them just for him - but now he was.)

"Anyway, while we're on this subject, my father told me to tell you that you're a genius. When he asked about the wings, I told him it was your fault, so now basically your drinks and cakes and stuff is always free here."

"What? But I barely said anything!"

"Hey, I don't make the rules. On the subject of rules, aren't you breaking many by not being at work right now?"

"Technically yes. But they know that my bus route got all screwed up, so I'm going to be a few minutes late."

Icarus set about making Pythagoras a drink, and putting another muffin into a paper bag.

"Thanks," Pythagoras grinned, and went to pay.

"My father will kill me if he thinks I'm letting you pay for this."

"Consider it a tip then? For having awesome fluffy pink wings?"

"I knew you'd like them."

 

-

 

It was by quite a lot of surprise that Pythagoras found himself walking into Wings on a Sunday. He hadn't planned on getting the bus into town again and walking to the shop. And yet here he was.

He awkwardly walked up to the counter again, suddenly unsure of what to do. Now that he could stay for longer, did he sit down? No, he'd just go talk to Icarus as always.

Except Icarus wasn't at the counter. Instead, there stood an old man in his late 60's, who seemed to have a permanent smile in his eye. There was next to no doubt about it - this was Icarus' father. He seemed nice enough, but Pythagoras wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. 'Order coffee like a normal person' was what he decided to go for.

"Hello, what can I get for you?"

"Uh hi, can I get-"

"Is that PYTHAGORAS?" Came a loud voice from inside the kitchen, and a few seconds later Icarus emerged.

"Hey," said Pythagoras, relieved to see him.

"Hello! Wait, please don't tell me you work on Sundays as well as every other day of the week!"

"God no, this is my day off."

"See, Father?" Icarus pointedly addressed the man next to him, "Some people do get days off."

Looking back at Pythagoras, he continued:

"He's demoted me down to kitchen duty for 'hosting unplanned, lengthy discussions with customers and procrastinating'. Basically he's blaming me for you popping in occasionally and us talking."

It was only two conversations... But they had both been pretty lengthy and in depth, and ended in Pythagoras not paying for at least half of what he was buying, so he could see why it might irritate the old man.

"Ah, so this is the much heard-about Pythagoras then? I'm Daedalus, Icarus' father."

Daedalus had a knowing look in his eye that wasn't particularly mean, but just more than a little unnerving. Pythagoras awkwardly fidgeted and shuffled from foot to foot.

Luckily, Icarus started steering Daedalus into the kitchen.

"Father, go finish icing those cupcakes. I'll serve Pythagoras, and then we can swap back."

"Alright, fine. But no lengthy flirtations at the counter when you're meant to be working. This is an active business, you know!"

 

Icarus returned a moment later, and rolled his eyes and sighed in relief.

"Sorry about that. He likes to think he's funny."

"Nah, he seems cool."

"You clearly don't know him. So, to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you when you aren't late for work?"

"I thought your father said no lengthy flirtations at the counter?" Pythagoras grinned at him.

Icarus seemed momentarily thrown by that question, but he steadied himself quickly.

"I'm working the Sunday morning kitchen shift in my father's coffee shop. Pythagoras, flirting with you at the counter is the highlight of my day."

"I don't know. I mean your father seemed pretty adamant about it. Wouldn't want you to get in trouble for it," Pythagoras didn't know what he was hoping to achieve by arguing with Icarus. He hoped it sounded flirty and funny, but for all he knew it was irritating and childish.

Icarus considered this for a second.

"Fine. I have a lunch break from 12:30 until 1:30. Let's go do something, and then we can flirt as much as you like without my father caring."

"... Are you asking me out?"

"Would it be bad if I was?"

"Um... No?"

"Then yes. I, Icarus, am asking you, Pythagoras, out."

"Sounds good."

The pair smiled at each other, before they were interrupted by the muffled sounds of Daedalus pretending to throw up.


End file.
